The Heir Who Returned

Chapter 4

"Caleb, he is mean but you shouldn't have pushed him," Lily said trying to regain her breath.

"But he insulted you, and I won't watch anyone bully my sister," he said, sticking out his nose, forgetting about the situation.

"Who was that guy?" Ethan asked.

"He is the son of Mr Garrick, the man who came by this morning,"Lily said frowning, “he always bully mummy”

"So, what are we going to do?" Ethan asked.

"Oh my God, Caleb, Ethan," Lily whispered, peeking out the window. "Mr Garrick is here."

"Lily, Ethan, come, let's stay inside," Caleb said.

“We didn't lock the door Caleb” Ethan said frightened.

"Who dares touch my son?" Mr Garrick shouted.

"Dad, it's Caleb, he pushed me," James said, putting on a pity face.

"Caleb, come outside now from the count of 3," he said, but no one answered.

“2”

“1”

He pushed the door open and entered inside.

Caleb rushed out. "Mr Garrick, it's me that hurt your son, my sister has nothing to do with it," he said again, standing his ground.

Mr Garrick's face turned red with anger. "You dare talk back to me, boy?" he shouted. Before Caleb could answer, Mr Garrick grabbed him by the collar and threw him hard to the ground. Caleb hit the dirt with a loud thud and cried out in pain.

"Stop!" Ethan shouted, running out of the house. He grabbed Mr Garrick's arm to pull him away from Caleb, but the man turned and hit Ethan too, knocking him down. Ethan's leg twisted under him as he fell, and pain shot up from his ankle. He gritted his teeth and tried to get up, but his leg would not hold him.

Mr Garrick did not stop. He kicked Caleb again while he was down. Caleb curled up, trying to protect his head with his arms. He let out a cry, then went quiet, his body limp on the ground.

"Caleb!" Lily screamed, running out of the house. Tears poured down her face as she saw her brother lying still. "Please, stop hurting him! Please!" she cried, falling to her knees beside him.

James stood behind his father, watching with a small smile on his face. He did not try to stop anything.

Mr Garrick finally let go and stepped back, breathing hard. He looked down at Caleb and Ethan like they were nothing to him. "This is what happens when poor people forget their place," he said coldly. He turned to James. "Come, son. We are done here."

James laughed as he followed his father to the car. "Poor people," he repeated, shaking his head like it was funny. "They can't even fight back."

The car drove off, leaving dust behind it. Lily was still crying, holding Caleb's hand. "Caleb, wake up, please," she begged. Caleb groaned but did not open his eyes fully. Blood ran from a cut above his eyebrow.

Ethan crawled closer, wincing at the pain in his ankle. He checked Caleb's breathing with shaking hands. "He's breathing," he said, trying to sound calm, though his voice shook too. "Lily, go and get your mother, quick!"

Lily ran towards the road to her mummy work place, screaming for her mother. "Mom! Mom! Come quick! Caleb is hurt! Mr Garrick beat him!"

“Lily what happened?”, she asked but noticed lily was shaking and couldn't talk well

Mrs Sarah came running back with Lily, her hands flying to her mouth when she saw Caleb on the ground. "Oh my God, Caleb!" She dropped to her knees beside him, touching his face gently. "Caleb, baby, can you hear me?"

Caleb's eyes opened halfway. "Mom," he whispered weakly, then closed his eyes again.

"We need to get him to the hospital now," Mrs Sarah said, her voice shaking but firm. She looked at Ethan, noticing how he held his leg. "Ethan, are you hurt too?"

"It's just my ankle. I'll be fine. Please, help Caleb first," Ethan said.

Mrs Sarah carried Caleb while Ethan and Lily walked behind her,though Ethan limped badly, they walked towards the old truck parked outside. Lily sat in the back with her brother's head on her lap, crying quietly and whispering for him to hold on. Mrs Sarah drove as fast as the truck could go, her hands tight on the wheel, her face pale with worry.

At the hospital, nurses rushed Caleb inside on a stretcher. Mrs Sarah paced the waiting room, wringing her hands. Ethan sat with his leg propped up, a nurse wrapping it in bandages, but his eyes stayed on the door where they had taken Caleb.

After what felt like hours, a doctor came out. "Mrs Sarah?" he called.

"Yes, that's me. How is my son?" she asked, rushing forward.

"He has a crack in one of his ribs, but the bone is still lined up correctly, he will heal when rested well”, the doctor said. "He was lucky. It could have been much worse."

Mrs Sarah let out a breath of relief, tears filling her eyes. "Thank you, doctor. Thank you so much."

The doctor paused, looking at her carefully. "Mrs Sarah, can I speak with you privately for a moment?"

She sighed, but followed him a few steps away. Ethan and Lily watched from where they sat, unable to hear what was being said.

"Mrs Sarah," the doctor said quietly, "I checked your file while you were waiting. You missed your last two appointments, and it looks like you have not been taking your medication."

Mrs Sarah looked down, unable to meet his eyes. "I've been busy, doctor. With the children, with everything happening. I forgot."

The doctor's face grew serious. "Mrs Sarah, this is not something you can forget. I looked at your latest results. The cancer is spreading faster than before. If you keep skipping your medication, it will get much worse, and soon."

Mrs Sarah's hand flew to her chest, her eyes wide with shock. "Spreading? How fast?" she whispered.

"Faster than we hoped," the doctor said gently. "You need to start your treatment again immediately, and you cannot miss any more appointments. I know things are hard for you right now, but please, think of your children. They need you."

Mrs Sarah's eyes filled with tears, but she quickly wiped them away, glancing back at Lily and Ethan, who were still waiting, worried about Caleb. She did not want them to see her fall apart.

"I understand, doctor," she said softly, her voice trembling. "I'll come back. I promise."

The doctor nodded, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Please do. We want to help you."

Mrs Sarah walked back to Lily and Ethan with a forced smile, hiding the fear that had settled deep in her heart. "Caleb will be fine," she told them. "He just needs rest."

Lily hugged her tightly. "I was so scared, Mom."

"I know, baby. I know," Mrs Sarah said, holding her close, her eyes drifting toward the hallway where the doctor had disappeared, her secret heavy on her shoulders.

Ethan just sat down and watched Lily and her mum quietly.